5 Lies American Culture Feeds Us Every Day
- You Can Be Anything You Want to Be.
- Your Actions Have No Bearing on Anybody Else.
- There is Only One Road You Can Take.
- Individualism is a Noble Pursuit.
- If You are not Busy, You are Lazy.
Slippery Words— Tolerance, Respect, Welcoming, Affirming, Freedom
My point in this discussion is threefold: 1) to point out how slippery some of the most used and cherished terms are in Western society; 2) to point out that no one modern Western value should be absolutized, rather it must be normed against the other values in the value system it is a part of; and 3) even on the basis of some kind of modern concept of respect and tolerance, satire can go too far and violate other modern values. Freedom of speech cannot be absolutized as the norm of all other norms.
I was an American sniper, and Chris Kyle’s war was not my war
The responsibility to make a picture that takes into account all of the political and social dynamics might not rest on any individual filmmaker. After all, it is just a movie. But that means the public should treat it like that, and educate themselves before jumping to a conclusion that the whole war was just like that. Especially if they support the democratic ideals that Chis Kyle, me and every veteran who put on a uniform swore an oath to defend with our lives.
If you really want to be a patriotic American, keep both eyes open and maintain 360 degrees of awareness. Don’t simply watch “American Sniper.” Read other sources, watch other films about the conflict. Talk to as many veterans as you can, get a full perspective on the war experience and the consequences. Ensure the perceived enemy in your vision is what it seems.
Christianity Is More Than Just Being a Good Person
What we really need to do is emulate Jesus. A faith in Christ surely requires love, peace and the fruits of the Spirit. But it also demands that we promote Christ’s existence with others through gracefully sharing our testimonies and being willing to intentionally communicate the love of God.
Some Thoughts for Those Who Are Considering Divorce
- Trust the Lord, don’t trust yourself. Relationships can cause hurt, and hurt people find it hard to think straight. God knows all, sees all, and works everything together for your good. Trust in the Lord and what He says in his Word.
- Realize that the answer to suffering is not always to move away from it. God sometimes calls us to follow Him by walking into or remaining under suffering.
- Contemplate that God is accomplishing a purpose in your sufferings.
- Wait on the Lord. Don’t act hastily. Keep doors open. Only close the doors that you are certain God says you should close.
- >Don’t just trust that God can change someone else’s heart. Trust that He can change and renew your heart.
- Meditate on Scripture related to the issue of marriage, separation and divorce.
A Discredited Vaccine Study’s Continuing Impact on Public Health
Typically, the M.M.R. shot is given to infants at about 12 months and again at age 5 or 6. This doctor, Andrew Wakefield, wrote that his study of 12 children showed that the three vaccines taken together could alter immune systems, causing intestinal woes that then reach, and damage, the brain. In fairly short order, his findings were widely rejected as — not to put too fine a point on it — bunk. Dozens of epidemiological studies found no merit to his work, which was based on a tiny sample. The British Medical Journal went so far as to call his research “fraudulent.” The British journal Lancet, which originally published Dr. Wakefield’s paper, retracted it. The British medical authorities stripped him of his license.
Nonetheless, despite his being held in disgrace, the vaccine-autism link has continued to be accepted on faith by some.
Free American travel puts the burden of opening up on the Cuban government
Most of the Miami congressional delegation will dutifully object to the free-travel bill on grounds that most of the money Americans spend goes to state coffers. There’s no getting around that now and maybe not ever: Although there are small numbers of cuentapropistas — self-employed entrepreneurs — practically every business, facility, or attraction in Cuba is state-owned.
But the opponents of free travel are missing the larger picture — not only that a democratic government shouldn’t be in the business of prohibiting its citizens’ travel, but also that there are unquantifiable benefits to engagement.
Science vs. religion? There’s actually more of a three-way split
They’re more strongly religious than most “Traditionals” (43 percent of Americans), and more scientifically knowledgeable than “Moderns” (36 percent) who stand on science alone, according to two sociologists’ findings in a new study.
“We were surprised to find this pretty big group (21 percent) who are pretty knowledgeable and appreciative about science and technology but who are also very religious and who reject certain scientific theories,” said Timothy O’Brien, co-author of the research study, released Thursday (Jan. 29) in the American Sociological Review.
Put another way, there’s a sizable chunk of Americans out there who are both religious and scientifically minded but who break with both packs when faith and science collide.
And So We Meet, Again: Why The Workday Is So Filled With Meetings
The average American office worker spends more than nine hours of every week preparing for, or attending, project update meetings, according to the results of a survey released last week by the software firm Clarizen and Harris Poll. That’s up nearly 14 percent from the last survey four years ago.
Why your doctor always keeps you waiting
Who is at fault here? Is it Dr. Tardy? Is she too accommodating? Could she have ignored that “By the way, I have chest pain” comment at the end of the visit with Ms. Diabetes? Could she have ignored that financial hardship plea? Should she have ignored the urgent patient lab values or that abnormal EKG reading that could have potentially placed those patient lives in jeopardy?
Should she have allowed the suicidal patient to simply walk out of the clinic?
If not, then do we fault the current health care system model in the United States which underpays primary care doctors for each visit so that they are required to see more and more patients in a shorter amount of time? Do we blame the medical practice that requires 20-minute appointment slots for each patient in order to survive? Should they stop allowing patients to be 15 minutes late in order to maintain good business practices?